The Bookery creates well-stocked and well-run libraries in under-resourced public schools in South Africa. To date, The Bookery has opened 89 school libraries, distributed over 352,000 books, and reached approximately 92 000 learners in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng. Each Bookery library contains a rich stock of fiction, non-fiction and reference books that cater for the needs and interests of learners in each school. The selection is regularly updated and replenished to maintain an interesting and relevant library space. To ensure sustainability, a young person from the school community is trained to work as a Library Assistant. They manage the space, facilitate literacy activities and library classes, and guide learners in their use of the library. It is a sad reality that 74% of public schools in South Africa do not have functional libraries. The Bookery works towards ending this shortage by creating dynamic libraries that inspire a love of reading, break barriers and inspire lives.
